📢 Publish Your Research for Free - Full APC Waiver, No Hidden Charges. Submit Your Article Today! Submit Now →
JImage

ARTICLE TYPE : RESEARCH ARTICLE

Published on :   13 Mar 2026, Volume - 2
Journal Title :   WebLog Journal of Neurosurgery | WebLog J Neurosurg
Source URL:   weblog iconhttps://weblogoa.com/articles/wjns.2026.c1303
Permanent Identifier (DOI) :  doi iconhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19269911

Post Traumatic Meningitis Outcomes and Incidences on Mental Health

Papa Midley 1
Kaitlyn Blake 1
Nuha Mohammed 1
Hanan Yusef 1
Banuja Munasinghe 1
Mekdem Bisrat 2 *
Elizabeth Beyene 2
Syed Fahad Gillani 2
Rawan Elkomi 2
Mrinalini Deverapalli 2
Kalkidan S Alayu 2
Miriam Michael 2,3
1Howard University, College of Medicine, Washington DC, USA
2Howard University, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, US

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes substantial morbidity and long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae. Bacterial meningitis may worsen outcomes after TBI, yet its mental health impact is under characterized. This study examined 90-day neuropsychiatric outcomes following post-traumatic meningitis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Two propensity-matched cohorts were assembled: severe TBI with subsequent bacterial meningitis and severe TBI without meningitis (2,977 patients each). Outcomes included post concussional syndrome, amnesia, altered mental status, depressive episodes, anxiety disorders, and non-psychotic mental disorders. We estimated risks, risk ratios, and odds ratios, and generated Kaplan–Meier survival curves and instance-based frequency analyses.

Results: Compared with TBI without meningitis, post-traumatic meningitis was associated with higher risk of amnesia (RR 2.65), altered mental status (RR 5.32), depressive episodes (RR 2.12), and anxiety (RR 2.05). Post-concussional syndrome risk was lower (RR 0.41). No difference was observed for non-psychotic mental disorders. Kaplan–Meier analyses showed significantly lower symptom-free probabilities for most outcomes.

Conclusion: Post-traumatic bacterial meningitis substantially increases early neuropsychiatric complications after severe TBI, highlighting the need for proactive psychiatric evaluation, neurocognitive monitoring, and tailored rehabilitation in this high-risk population. Findings support early infection prevention and integrated neurocritical care pathways implementation.

Keywords: Traumatic Brain Injury; Meningitis; Mental Health Outcomes; Post-Concussional Syndrome; Encephalopathy

Citation

Midley P, Blake K, Mohammed N, Yusef H, Munasinghe B, Bisrat M, et al. Post Traumatic Meningitis Outcomes and Incidences on Mental Health. WebLog J Neurosurg. wjns.2026.c1303. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19269911
Read Full Article